Shortly after the start of the 2019-2020 academic year, large scale renovations began at Doyle Residence Hall. The university is currently in the process of addressing issues ranging from retractable walls to new elevators and handicap accessible bathrooms. The project is expected to end after the conclusion of the academic year.
“The renovations began the Monday after the fall Board of Trustees meeting concluded on Sept. 14,” said Jared Smith, Interim Director of Facilities Operations. “Barring any setbacks, the hope is to have renovations completed in May, before the summer Board meeting and Alumni Reunion in early June.”
“The project entails a complete ovehaul of the Robert R. Jones Trustees Room and Doyle Dining Room,” said Smith. “Essentially eliminating the wall in between them to create a much larger and modern event space that will be able to accommodate as many as 300 people, and yet the room will still be able to be divided into two smaller event spaces with a retractable wall.”
Along with the Robert R. Jones Trustees Room and the Doyle Dining Room, renovations will include the installation of a new elevator, replacement of the existing elevator in the north wing, replacement of exterior stairs on the east side of the building, new handicap accessible bathrooms, first floor corridor improvements and heating, ventilation and air conditioning upgrades. As the project will be ongoing for the duration of this academic year, it can potentially interfere with the day-to-day lives of students and faculty. However, that was not entirely the case for Kelly Baily, a sophomore philosophy major with a concentration in law and politics here at St. Bonaventure University.
“Well for me, particularly, there wasn’t any direct interference for my day-to-day life, the hallway to the renovations was the only thing closed off,” said Baily. “The only thing that was a bit bothersome were the massive crates marked ‘asbestos’ in the side parking lot when passing through there from the Doyle or Gardens parking lot…we were never told that we were in any danger so I would like to assume that we [have] nothing to worry about.”
Despite the inconveniences and concerns that arise naturally during any long-term renovation project, Smith believes that these efforts will be worthwhile for everyone remotely involved in the end.
“Everyone on campus — faculty, students and staff — benefits,” said Smith. “Having a large and modernized event space will allow the university to attract more academic conferences and to host co-curricular and extracurricular events we might not have been able to in the past because of inadequate or under-sized facilities. Plus, any project that creates an additional revenue stream for the university benefits all of us.”
“I have been in the [Robert R. Jones Trustees] room for multiple different reasons like meetings and presentations and it was definitely out of date,” said Baily. “As long as the school plans to use it to the same extent, if not more, I think the renovations will definitely be worthwhile.”
Smith added that this is not the only project the university hopes to complete this academic year.
“Now that demolition has been completed on the old clubhouse restaurant at the golf course, construction on the new open-air pavilion at the golf course is expected to begin in the spring and completed by early summer,” said Smith. “Plus, work will begin in January in Francis Hall to transition much of the space there into the home for the School of Health Professions, although that work won’t be completed by the end of the academic year.”
By Jared Leve, News Editor
levejl16@bonaventure.edu
